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The changes mean iiNet's popular Home 2 plan - where a landline and ADSL 2+ broadband are bundled - will see users get 10GB quota in both peak and off-peak periods, compared to 5GB peak and 7GB off-peak at present.

Some users will have their off-peak quotas reduced, but will see an increase in peak quota to compensate them.

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Users can either upgrade instantly or do nothing and be automatically changed to the new plan in 30 days time. The cost of plans do not change.

But to use off-peak download quota, most iiNet users will have to be on their computers between 2am and 8am. Previously, off-peak usage was between 2am and noon, seven days a week.

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The off-peak period for heavier users - those able to use at least 60GB in peak and off peak times - has been changed to 1am to 9am.

When users fill their quota before the end of the billing cycle, iiNet slows download speeds. For lighter users this "shaping" speed will remain at 64kbps, but for heavier users it will increase to 128kbps.

Those on older plans will not see any change.

iiNet chief financial officer David Buckingham told WAtoday.com.au the changes were necessary to better manage the bandwidth the company bought.

There was a "massive surge" in use on weekend mornings, which qualified for off-peak quotas.

However, despite the changes the company remained competitive with other ISPs on quota, Mr Buckingham said.

"We wanted to give customers a quota increase and we've done that just before Christmas," he said.

"It's just unfortunate in order to be able to give customers more quota, we've had to change off-peak times."

Another iiNet representative told the Whirlpool forum that had led to other customers reporting "performance problems" as gamers and other heavy downloaders using off-peak quota.

There were different off-peak times for different types of users to better match usage habits to network load.

The ISP was offering customers who felt the changes disadvantaged them unfairly a penalty-free exit to their contracts.

"Who the hell's awake and on the internet from 2am to 8am?," the poster, who mainly uses the internet to watch TV shows, lamented.

"I used to get 8GB peak and 8GB off-peak for a total of 16GB per month. With the new changes, however, I'll get 10GB peak and 10GB off-peak (but) I won't be able to use the off-peak. Why? Because I'll be asleep.

"In my case, this translates to going from 16GB of usable bandwith to 10GB of usable bandwith. That is, I'm getting a massive 37.5 per cent reduction in usable bandwidth but paying the same money for it... it's a rip-off. What's worse, they call it an 'upgrade'."

Another user wrote: "The entire idea of off peak times being (usable) is that you can spend the off peak quota watching videos, general browsing, basically using it as if it were peak times.

"I'm pretty sure now that I'm definitely not going to be using my off peak quota at all. What a waste"

But others who mostly downloaded during the day have welcomed the increase in peak quota.

"I personally love the new plans, because I leave for work at 8am," one wrote.

"So I still get off peak in the morning, and my peak... always sits idle anyway. If you want to take advantage of more off peak downloads, use a scheduler to get anything big overnight 2am-8am."